In today's "How Can Someone So Dumb Have His Own Nationally Televised Show" segment, HBO's Bill Maher said Friday the federal debt has only increased by $1.5 trillion since Barack Obama took office (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) appearing as a guest said, "There's a fear out among the American people that this five trillion more in debt that we have piled upon their children is going to cause a major dislocation of the economy."

"That's not from Obama," predictably replied Maher. "Five trillion is what Bush did. Obama's 1.5. These are the facts. These are the facts."

How does such a nincompoop get his own national television platform to make such irrefutably false claims?

According to the Treasury Department - information available to anyone via the internet including television anchors, hosts, and their staffs! - the total federal debt was $10.6 trillion when Obama was inaugurated. It is now $15.2 trillion, a $4.6 trillion increase.

This is not up for debate. To quote Maher, these are the facts.

Exactly how is it that people like Maher and virtually everyone on MSNBC can make clearly false statements about the national debt with total impunity?

In what other profession in this country are folks permitted to lie to the public whenever they want?